Fairy Tale
by Son Goshen
Summary: MarcoAce. "You need to believe that we'll be like fairy tales. Happiness will be the ending, so let's write our story together..." Ace suddenly began to act strangely and avoid Marco. Marco needs to find out why, and perhaps teach a thing or two to the younger.
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece, like always.**

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"_I've forgotten how long it's been since you've told me about your favorite fairy tales. I've thought for a long time and began to panic. Did I do something wrong again?"_

Since the arrival and acceptance of the Whitebeard Pirate's newest recruit, Marco's life had taken a considerable turn for the better. Every day was now illuminated with the bright passionate flame that he found himself unconsciously drawn to; somehow he couldn't break away from the powerful fire as if it was an addicting drug. Every day, he found himself smiling at the prospect of conversing with the energy that lit up his world, which previously only held stars that burned coldly. It was only when _he _came into Marco's life that he realized what he had been missing out the entire time, the one thing he desired so greatly but never fully understood. This entire time he had been staring up at an empty night sky, but with the arrival of the new crewmate the sky now shone so beautifully.

This flame, both figuratively and literally, was Ace, a cheerful and boisterous young man, exactly the type of person the phoenix believed he would never get attached to. Ace was anything and everything Marco didn't stand for, the polar opposite. He himself was a calmer and more reserved kind, preferring to act as the older figure for his immature and impulsive younger brothers and refrained from any indulgent activities.

Perhaps it was the old saying, "opposites attract", that led to his attraction to the younger man.

It was so ironic how this worked out.

To his pleasant surprise, the younger expressed interest in Marco as well, though not in the way he secretly hoped for. But it was for the better, as Ace's attraction was healthier and more natural than his.

He knew that Ace must look up to him as the ideal older figure next to the old man; most of the crew did, so he often sought out advice from the phoenix, whether it be the life on the sea or other more trivial matters like how to shave properly. He constantly bombarded Marco with various questions, but always in a strangely shy manner he found so intriguing and cute. Despite his usual jovial attitude, whenever he directed a question at Marco he'd hesitate briefly and ask if the other was busy before proceeding, and there'd be another pause before he got around asking. One would expect him to outright spout his query whether Marco was occupied or not.

Slowly, their relationship progressed to the point where every night, Ace would knock quietly on Marco's door and step in, carrying a worn, leather bound book. It was his late brother's collection of writing he had left behind, Ace told him with sparkling eyes as he brushed his hand fondly against the tattered cover delicately titled_ Sabo's Stories._ As the younger flipped through the yellowed pages, he shared the stories with him. It was another contrasting quirk about Ace; he loved fairy tales, and the compilation he owned were certainly one of the most well-written ones the phoenix had ever heard.

The darker side of him danced with glee, naively deluding him into thinking that perhaps Ace also returned Marco's not-so-platonic feelings, however miniscule they might be. Though it was true that he was one of the only people Ace ever confessed his love of fantasy, happily-ever-after stories, it did not mean anything. Marco would not allow himself to fall deeper in love than he had. It was already at an unsalvageable stage as it was.

But as much as Marco savored the nights they spent together, they came into a sudden halt, leaving him a growing, unsettled feeling. Ace's warm and comforting presence was no longer there, and it bothered him more than it should. Had he done something wrong? Were his feelings too bold and obvious that it scared off the younger? These thoughts bothered them often in the subsequent empty nights. Even in daylight, Ace avoided him, often excusing himself whenever Marco was nearby and scurried off to an unnamed place, disappearing for the rest of the day. During meals he'd quickly grab some food and run off again, giving Marco no opportunity to approach him. The younger simply refused to be in the same space as him, never talking and always running away whenever a chance offered itself.

Thatch had also offhandedly mentioned Ace seemed paler and more tired these days whenever he chanced upon the young man. He had developed dark circles under his constantly red eyes, and the amount he ate was a far cry from what he usually consumed. Ace's health was becoming endangered from… what?

What was going on?

Musing about the strangeness for the umpteenth time of the day, Marco wandered meaninglessly around the corridors until he spotted someone leaning against the wall with a grimace. The figure raised his head in alarm as he heard footsteps, dark eyes widening. Looking frantically to the other direction, he made an attempt to run, only to realize it was a dead end. In a weak whisper, Ace said, "Hi Marco…"

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**Based off of the song ****童话 ****(Fairy Tale) by ****光良 ****(Michael Wong). I am still reeling over how I can write sappy, romantic things like this; it just flows out so easily that it scares me… This story is going to be split into three short parts, this being the first, but there is also the possibility of me combining the second and third, I'm still not completely sure yet. And for the readers who also follow my other stories, I promise I will update them as soon as I have the time. I'm really buried under a lot of tests and schoolwork, on top of absolutely no inspiration/motivation.**

**Till next time! **


	2. Part 2

**Disclaimer: Since when did I buy copyright of One Piece? Not rich enough.**

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No one ever told Ace that a broken heart would be so painful. If he had known, he wouldn't have gotten himself in this heartrending mess and be broken into a million pieces, with no one to help him pick up the pieces.

Why did it hurt so much? He had been tossed down a cliff, beaten by pirates, captured and tortured by Marines, and so many other experiences that left him teetering on the brink of death, but this… this was something entirely different that tore his heart and mind apart, left him in turmoil on the inside as he fought to understand all the conflicting feelings that constantly attacked his fragile mind. He didn't know how long he could handle it anymore.

So far, yet so near.

How did it happened, he didn't even know. All he remembered was that he slowly began to be attracted to someone he shouldn't be, falling deeply in love in a person so out of reach. Often he found himself staring dreamily at the other, tracing every contour on his handsome face, memorizing all the tiny details. He knew how every strand of golden hair curled, the heavy eyelids, the curves of his abdomen muscles and how his Whitebeard tattoo contrasted against his tanned skin. Somehow without realizing it, Ace had become a lovesick teenager obsessively stalking the older.

He finally realized his unrequited feelings for the other during an accident where he had drunkenly tumbled over the side of the ship railing from one too many drinks. None of the crew members had acted fast enough, all stuck in a shocked stupor as their rookie crew member fell towards the dark and vast ocean. But Marco reacted immediately, leaping off and transforming into a magnificent mythological beast that blazed brightly in the purplish-black night sky, the blue flames swirling fierily, shining brighter than the stars and the moon. Swooping down gracefully, he gripped tightly onto Ace's limp body and plopped his shell-shocked form back onto the wooden deck. Smoothing morphing back into a human, he said, "Be more careful next time, yoi," and walked away.

In that moment, Ace was completely smitten as his cheeks flared a bright shade of red that had nothing to do with his intoxication.

Somehow in the following weeks he grew carefully closer to the older male, often losing his train of thought even when Marco brushed against him, a light blush tinting his face. But the other never seemed to notice his embarrassing moments, something Ace was extremely grateful for. By then, he had already firmly told himself that no matter how deeply in love he was with Marco, he had to stay away. Marco clearly didn't return his feelings and probably would never. He was just another random crew member among the many aboard the Moby Dick, after all. No one special.

Then his idiotic self just _had _to approach Marco one night and act like a complete fool by showing him Ace's precious journal that Sabo had left him. It wouldn't hurt, he had reasoned with himself. They were friends. Surely Marco would understand that, right? It wasn't like he'd be particularly interested in them, anyways.

Of course, his plan entirely backfired on him when Marco _did _find Sabo's fairy tales to be intriguing and almost seemed to enjoy Ace's nightly visits, though he was certain it was only in a platonic way. It caught him by surprise, because he didn't think the older man would find such things fascinating, nor would he be so patient and understanding whenever Ace began to ramble without realizing.

Why did Marco have to make it so hard? If only he could be just a _little _despicable and not just so damn perfect, Ace wouldn't be mourning over his broken heart.

He only had one option left: avoid Marco. Break off all contact and hope that the other would never find out about his feelings, which would hopefully fade away. After all, time heals all wounds, right?

But it still didn't help the severe heartache he was suffering. The one-sided love was just so painful when you knew the other was simply indifferent to your feelings.

Ace was sure he must've looked like utter crap because of all the self-inflicted pain from barely sleeping and eating. He had lost a lot of weight, he could tell, and he felt weary both physically and mentally. Somehow in these lifeless, meaningless days he'd taken up wandering around the corridors of the Moby Dick like a ghost, musing about various thoughts. His mind almost always stayed on a certain phoenix, though. Sometimes he'd like to think of a scenario where they lived in another world, where there weren't so many obstacles standing between them so their love could blossom. Sometimes, he'd fantasize that Marco loved him as well and would be the one to proclaim his love.

Sighing, he leaned against the gray walls of one of the many halls in the ship, feeling the soothing rocking the ocean waves produced. He grimaced, running a hand through his tangled black hair as the rocking reminded him of that night he fell over the railing again for the umpteenth time. Before he drowned himself in the torrent of thoughts that poured over, he picked up the sound of muted footsteps approaching. His head snapped up, and he muffled a gasp.

Marco.

Marco was standing there with an unreadable face, his eyes glinting with a hidden emotion Ace couldn't decipher. The older man crossed his arms, looking very stern all of a sudden as he took in Ace's very disheveled appearance, making him gulp nervously.

Ace looked frantically to the other direction, only to find to his dismay that the hallway led to a dead end. Looking back to the waiting man, he said weakly, "Hi Marco."

In a barely suppressed, furious tone, Marco asked, "What the hell happened to you?"

The freckled man winced at his voice as he hung his head, unable to meet the other's sharp gaze. "I… I think…" he breathed in deeply. "Marco, I think I'm in love with you." And before Marco could reply, he pushed him away and sprinted pass, back to the safe refuge of his room.

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**Okay. So maybe some of you (who am I lying? All of you) are thinking that Ace is a total sap and out of character. Well, I think anyone dealing with a broken heart, no matter how chirpy they are like Ace, they'd feel absolutely miserable. No one is an exception to that, not that I know the feeling personally. ^^; Anyhow, I hope you guys liked this part! I'll try to post the last part as soon as possible, but definitely not this week because of all the stupid exams I've been taking.**

**On a completely unrelated side note, it's 7th Cassiopeia day for those who recognize it. If you know what that is without the aid of a search engine, then you have my utmost respect. :P **

**(At least it was until stupid FFn decides to quit on me so I couldn't post the chapter last night. Stupid, stupid website.)**


	3. Part 3

_Crying, you said, "Fairy tales are all lies. You can never become my knight in shining armor." But you don't understand that the moment you said you loved me, my sky lit up with bright stars._

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Ace barely stumbled past the safe confines of his room when he completely broken down into a sobbing mess in the corner, muffling his erratic gasps with his hand as he fought to keep the tears from spilling any further. Why was it just so hard to breathe now? He felt his chest and throat constrict tightly together as he fought desperately for much-needed air, only to choke and gasp in pain on the tears that stubbornly continued to stream down his face. Why did it have to hurt so much? Fingers clenched tightly onto the soft fabric of his unbuttoned shirt, threatening to tear the material apart in anguish.

Why was he such an idiot? Ace mentally berated himself for confessing his love, for that moment of pure stupidity where his feelings had gotten the better of him to make him spill his overwhelmed heart like a lovesick fool. Where did his level-headedness go, his bare thread of sanity that kept him hooked onto reality to keep him from falling into a deep emotional pit? Countless questions continued to race through his mind as he remained curled in a fetal position, giving up all effort to wipe the relentless tears.

"Ace…"

He looked up in alarm to see Marco's familiar form as he leaned against the doorway, illuminated by pale moonlight. His features were twisted into a concerned expression, mouth turned slightly downwards in a worried frown. Ace's eyes traced over the way the other crossed his arms, how one foot was raised slightly so it was pushing back onto the side of the doorway, how his blonde hair was bleached a beautiful shade of silver under the moonlight, and just how damn handsome Marco looked under simply any condition as the pain in Ace's heart impossibly grew and blossomed through his entire chest.

The younger broke his gaze and heard soft footsteps as the other approached him.

"Look at me," he pleaded quietly as he knelt down onto the hardwood floor, laying a gentle hand on Ace's shoulder.

With his head still stubbornly turned away, Ace said bitterly, "What could you possibly want with me?" There was a tiny hint of old ire in his voice that nearly made Marco smile.

"You said you loved me." It was a statement said firmly with enough certainty that it was obviously not a question. Marco was not here to ask because he was confused; he had another purpose that Ace didn't dare to think about. He didn't want to have his hopes be lifted, only to have them be crushed into a million tiny pieces that would only continue to shred his wounded heart. "If you're going to reject me, do it now. Don't drag it out. I don't think I can take anymore of this."

There was a short pause. "What makes you think I'll say that?"

"Then?" Ace met the phoenix's curious and imploring gaze at last. "What are you going to say? A whole long stream of sugar-coated bullshit and pity to make me feel better? Or lies to pretend that you love me back?"

Silence reigned.

"This isn't some goddamn fairy tale," Ace chuckled hollowly, making a feeble attempt to erase tear stains as he hiccupped. "I've long accepted that I wouldn't get any happily-ever-after. This is reality. It just doesn't happen that way."

Marco did not say a thing.

"Just please." His voice was no longer harsh and raw. "Say that you don't love me, put my mind to peace."

"Who said I never loved you back?" The grip on Ace's shoulder tightened infinitesimally as the older man's frown deepened. "And who said fairy tales couldn't become reality?" Marco's eyes burned with an unreadable emotion as his other hand grasped the younger's chin and tilted it upwards, leaning forward. Their lips touched.

Ace was frozen with surprise, before he began to kiss back, finding himself thoroughly enjoying the kiss.

It was a long moment later when they finally broke apart, both panting for air as Ace continued to look at Marco with shocked eyes.

"Who said we couldn't have a happy ending?" Marco said, a small grin beginning to spread. "I love you, Ace. I've always had."

Ace clamped a hand down onto the other's lips before he could continue to speak. "Shut up and kiss me, you pineapple." This time taking the initiative, he captured the other's lips.

_"You need to believe that we'll be like fairy tales. Happiness will be the ending, so let's write our story together."_

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**What is this… this… mess… I'm never writing something like this ever again because I just don't do sap and fluff. I think one time experimenting was enough… This last part seriously took me a long time because I'm not into this couple as I used to be, and material like this is just extremely difficult. I tend not to write romance, let alone boy love (that kiss killed me with frustration), or any happy things in general so this pretty much sits at the opposite of my comfort zone. Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoyed this short fic! There will be one more one-shot I intend to publish before I finally go back to updating my stories. And also, please do leave a review. **


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